Ducks right wing Corey Perry, left, battles for the puck against Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series at Honda Center. The Ducks’ top line didn’t generate much offense in the opener. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)

ANAHEIM — Nine shots that San Jose’s Brent Burns put on goal in Game 1 represented his effectiveness against the Ducks and served as an indictment of them.

Burns is among the most high-volume shooters in the NHL, so the 13 he attempted and the nine put on target isn’t shocking. The fact that the Ducks’ entire top line didn’t come close to either number is one of the more distressing parts that came out of their 3-0 loss to the Sharks on Thursday.

Rickard Rakell, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry each managed only one shot that forced San Jose goalie Martin Jones to make a save. The three – who were their top point scorers this season – also combined for only eight attempts, with Perry having just one.

Meanwhile, the Sharks had their best going. Burns scored on one of those shots on Ducks goalie John Gibson with a low shot that got through traffic. First line left wing Evander Kane scored their first two goals in his NHL playoff debut, with Joe Pavelski giving him the set-up passes for both.

The stark difference had Perry embracing it as a challenge to them for Game 2 on Saturday night at Honda Center.

“In the playoffs, there’s going to be a different hero each night,” Perry said. “Your best players have to be your best players. If it’s not in the scoresheet, it’s doing other things that help your team.

“That’s what we’re going to be looked upon tomorrow night. Everybody in that room knows what we have to do.”

They weren’t the only line that created little. Ondrej Kase did have six shot attempts but Adam Henrique and Nick Ritchie each only got off two, with Henrique not registering one on goal. Players credited how packed the Sharks worked together to stay in front of them in the neutral and offensive zones.

“There was too much 1-on-2, 3-on-4 type of hockey,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We’ve got to again find a better way to execute from a puck recovery situation and not allow them to get above us as quickly as they did last night.”

There is the human shot generator that is Burns to contend with. The Sharks’ rangy defenseman had 332 attempts this season. He led the NHL with 320 in 2016-17 and scored 29 goals in winning the Norris Trophy.

Carlyle said “the power play’s a much different animal” to defend Burns than at even strength and pointed out his goal was “a seeing-eye shot” among the four opportunities he had with the teams skating five aside.

“When you’re on the forecheck, you have to make him stop,” Perry said. “You can’t let him start roaming. He’s on the ice, he’s all over the place. He doesn’t have a safety on the shot. He’s shooting everything. You have to be aware of where he is.

“Those nine shots we gave, there’s a lot on the power play. You cut down those power plays, hopefully it’s a recipe for success.”

ENERGY BOOST

While the majority of the forwards had quiet, ineffective nights, J.T. Brown was one who stood out in doing a lot with his 8-1/2 minutes of ice time.

Brown’s three shots on goal tied Cogliano for the team lead and his energetic skating created opportunities for himself and linemate Antoine Vermette.

“You definitely want to try to create that spark,” Brown said. “Whether it’s a hit, forecheck, shot on net. Something to try to keep the guys going while they’re on the bench.”

Brown was a healthy scratch for a time as the Ducks worked Chris Kelly into the mix and incorporated Troy Terry into a couple of games. But the veteran has used his ability to skate to his advantage.

“It felt pretty good,” Brown said. “That’s how I try to style my game. I try to be fast on the forecheck. Maybe it just stood out a little bit because it’s a playoff game, playoff atmosphere. I think that kind of brings out the best in everybody.”

INJURY UPDATE

The Ducks had an optional workout at Honda Center and that gave Kevin Bieksa the chance to move forward toward being an option to use on defense. Bieksa hasn’t played since March 12 after undergoing hand surgery.

“We’ll check in tomorrow and see how the puck handling (is) after and how tender the area is,” Carlyle said. “We have a bunch of people who are waiting to get an opportunity and he’s one of them.”

Carlyle said Cam Fowler, who is no longer wearing a sling on his left shoulder, is doing daily rehab work and he expects him to resume skating shortly. He would not hazard a guess on any possibility toward his defenseman becoming available in this series.